Los Angeles Greets Return of Rams With a Cool Eye

Fans in Inglewood, Calif., after the N.F.L. voted to let the Rams return to Los Angeles.CreditCreditDamian Dovarganes/Associated Press

By Mike Tierney

Jan. 13, 2016

LOS ANGELES — And on the day after, the City of Angels ... went about its business.

Although there were pockets of joy over the N.F.L.’s moving the Rams back to the region, a metropolitan area with a diverse pile of sports teams and the slogan “Entertainment Capital of the World” is not easily swept off its feet.

After all, Wednesday was only a few days after the Golden Globes ceremony, and there still were recipients’ acceptance speeches and apparel choices to pick over.

The announcement of the return of the Rams competed Tuesday night with a Lakers victory — with their record (9-31), that qualifies as breaking news here. It did not help that Kobe Bryant left the game injured again.

Still, those who were looking could find bursts of enthusiasm over the return of the N.F.L.

“Complete euphoria,” said Jeanne Zelasko, a host of a morning drive-time sports talk show that this fall may have a lot more to talk about. “It’s unbelievable the freedom people are feeling — the ‘reunion’ reaction.”

The elation, Zelasko suggested, derived from the choice of team, the Rams, who have a deeper connection to the region than do the Raiders or Chargers, one of which may also end up in Los Angeles in the coming months.

For now, it is the Rams, who may play temporarily in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, their old home, until a nearly $3 billion stadium and entertainment complex is built for them in nearby Inglewood, with a target date of 2019.

She said she had heard from grandparents who had enjoyed going to Rams games and were eager to take their grandchildren.

“It feels like we are picking up where we left off” after the franchise bolted to St. Louis more than two decades ago, Zelasko said.

“People are going out of their minds, and the Rams haven’t even crossed the state line yet,” she added.

At a Lids Locker Room sports apparel store, several customers had been looking for Rams hats, according to the manager.

Still, one of the best ways to gauge team interest is through attendance at the abundant sports-themed bars on Sunday mornings; the first games start at 10 a.m. here.

At a Buffalo Wild Wings in the San Fernando Valley, on any given Sunday, as many as a dozen teams are represented on patrons’ jerseys.

Often the most common colors are the blue and gold of the Rams, along with the black and silver of the Raiders, who played here for 13 seasons before returning to Oakland in 1995 and who still have vocal supporters.

Clusters of Steelers, Ravens and Cowboys fans are often at other tables.

At lunchtime Wednesday, most people were watching soccer.

Among the exceptions were Cristina Dominguez and Tiffany Soliz, lifelong Angelenos who wore hats sporting the logos of hockey’s Kings and baseball’s Dodgers, respectively.

Both were giddy over the prospect of claiming a football team as their own, or at least sharing affection for one. Dominguez is partial to the Patriots, Soliz to the Cowboys.

“Even if you aren’t a fan of the Rams, I think it’s going to bring people out to the stadium,” said Soliz, 37.

Dominguez said she had noticed such a variety of N.F.L. jerseys around town that trying to identify the public’s top team would be futile.

“Maybe the jerseys people wear will change a little bit,” she said.

Dominguez, 34, was especially excited for her younger brother, who was born soon after the Rams left and has yet to develop an affinity for the sport.

“He has said, ‘I’ll be a football fan when a team comes here,’ ” she said.

Another lifetime resident, Daniel Garcia, has never rooted for any team other than the Tennessee Titans, who once employed his favorite player, Warren Moon. At age 33, Garcia was aware of the Rams’ hold here.

“It’s good to have that team coming back,” said Garcia, of Glendale. “Having any team back here will make a big difference.”

But, asked if he would switch loyalties, Garcia said, “No way.”

Zelasko acknowledged the Balkanization of support for teams in the league but was convinced that the Rams would reshape the landscape.

“Once people revisit what it feels like to be an N.F.L. town, to keep up with what ‘our guys’ are doing each week,” she said, “I think they will be excited.”

That may hinge on how well the team, or teams, play. Everybody loves a winner.